If electricity flows through a house thru 1 prong and out other why don't we get arebate for unused hydro?

Answer 1

It takes energy to push that current through your lights and appliances, and that's what your paying for. One way to see it is to consider that what comes out the downstream prong is at 0 volts and therefore of no use to anyone. Or, you could just wire all your lamps in series and see how that works!

Answer 2

Electricity doesn't "flow". Energy does.

A voltage is delivered to your house as a "difference between two points" ... the two prongs on the plug, for instance. A better approximation would be in the two conductors making up the cable that runs from the pole to your wall.

The voltage "pushes" the flow of energy through the load (everything in your house that uses electricity). How big the load is and how strong the push is determine the size of the flow.

All your items have some sort of switch built in; this means that when the switch is "off", the circuit for that device is broken and the loop that defines the device is effectively isolated and can't carry current (what goes in must come out, in other words).

Electricity providers (which may or may not be your local utility ... more probably there's an actual power generation company further up the chain) only provide voltage on a consistent basis. Their energy usage only goes up when you draw current for those devices you've switched "on" ... so until you're actually consuming, there's no flow - and therefore no reason to reimburse you.

Keep in mind that power doesn't flow out of your house and into your neighbors' ... it's like you're all standing at different bank machines and withdrawing cash at the same time. The power arrives at your doorstep at the same time, waiting for you to tap in and use some of it. The next guy doesn't have less, just because you watched an hour of TV.

Answer 3

The part you pay for is the FLOW, not the individual electrons, which in AC actually reverse direction 60 times every second, so the same electrons are being used over and over in your house.

Answer 4

because if you didnt use any electricity for anything you wouldnt pay anything, you pay for what you use so it is charged by how much gos through the meter